No Such Promises
by adriaticjellyfishsting
Summary: When Jinora is ten, she and Bolin build a sand castle, and neither of them have any idea of foundations of friendship laid that day. Bolinora, will span from childhood and up, rated T for now, maybe changing later.
1. A Sandy Introduction to Friendship

**disclaimer: I own nothing, only a computer.**

******_A Sandy Introduction to Friendship_**

Jinora sank into the sand of the beach on Air Temple Island. It was a warm day and her siblings were off in some cool corner of the island, making a nuisance of themselves for sure. Quietly, she had stolen away from breakfast, book clutched to her chest, and made her way down to the water. She breathed a sigh of contentment as she opened her book, turning to the page that she had left off on before breakfast. It was an adventure novel, about a young girl who runs away from home and falls in with a group of lovable miscreants. She knew the story was silly and implausible, and that the writing was infantile, but she couldn't help but like it; there was an earnestness to stories like it-a certain hopefulness and optimism-that more sophisticated books didn't have. It's a good beach read, anyways, and it had been a gift from her Uncle Bumi, for her tenth birthday, almost a year ago.

The waves were lapping gently at the shoreline, and Jinora was completely absorbed in her book. It was about as relaxing as it ever gets around the island, so she shouldn't have been surprised when was all shot to pieces in minutes. With a loud whoop, Korra burst onto the beach, sprinting towards the water. She was followed by Mako, Bolin, and Asami, who all took their time taking off their regular clothes and stripping down to their swimsuits. By the time they were all done, Korra was splashing her way out into the bay.

"Hey!" shouted Mako, "Slow down!"

"Hurry up!" Korra called back.

Jinora was pretty sure that they haven't seen her as they made their way to the water's edge. Good, she thought, maybe I can read in peace. She wasn't that lucky.

They were shouting and laughing, splashing around in the waves, and Jinora could barely concentrate on the words in her book. Frustrated, she smacked the covers shut, and got up to go find somewhere else to read. It wasn't that she doesn't like Korra's friends; she liked them a lot. They were just so loud and full of energy all the time, constantly bouncing around and goofing off. There's nothing wrong with that, Jinora thought, but it can get to be a bit much. She liked her space and she liked her quiet, and with them and her younger siblings around, there wasn't much of that to spare anymore.

Grumpily, she stalked down the beach to find a quieter spot. It wasn't quite as nice in the place she finds, but it was quiet. Again, she plopped down into the sand and began to read. The heroine of the story has just discovered a secret plot by the evil government officials to keep the poor townspeople down, and is planning an attack against them with her potential love interest, a generically handsome freedom fighter, and they're about to kiss when-

"Hey Jinora!"

She looked up from her book. Bolin was standing in front of her, dripping wet, hair plastered to his head, green eyes barely poking out from beneath it.

"Hi, Bolin," she says, sighing and closing her book again, "What's up?"

"Nothing," he says, "We were just wondering why you moved down the beach when we came. We didn't mean to kick you out of your spot or anything."

She hadn't even known that they had seen her, the way that they had sprinted past.

"It was just a little loud, that's all. I like my quiet when I read," she explained, hoping that Bolin would get the hint.

Clearly, he didn't.

"Oooh, what're you reading?" he asked, peering down at the book in her lap.

"It's not very good."

"I bet it's alright, or you wouldn't be reading it. You have pretty good taste in books, right?"

Jinora smiled. She does have pretty good taste in books, if she did say so herself.

"It's just a beach read," she explained, "It's about a girl who runs away and becomes part of a vigilante justice dealing, honorably thieving band misfits. It's not that good, but it's fun, I guess."

"That sounds pretty fun to me," Bolin said, and drops to the sand next to her, "I can keep you company if you want."

Jinora bit her lip.

"You don't have to, Bolin," she said honestly, because all she really wanted to do was read in peace, "You should go back to your friends."

Bolin shrugged and smiled at her.

"Nah, I'm fine. Besides, Asami had to go back up to the house. Korra and Mako are just being annoyingly gushy. Trust me, I'm better off here."

"Alright," Jinora said, and picks her book back up.

She didn't get very far, though. From the corner of her eye, she could see Bolin building miniature sand castles, adorning them with leaf flags and twig defenses.

"You wanna help me make a sand castle?" Bolin asked her.

"Not really."

She bit her lip again when he looked genuinely hurt at her response. Sighing, she put her book down for good and scooted over to where Bolin was sculpting castle walls and moats. He grinned when she began to help.

"Just wait," he said, "This is gonna be so cool!"

* * *

wooh! new fic! I just recently hopped on this ship, (it will be Bolinora, but when they're older; she's 10 now, so not quite yet...) and I had to write something. This is just sort of a prologue, Bolin and Jinora's first interaction as 'friends' on their own. Hope you like it, and stay posted for more to come!

xx


	2. Rooftops and Balconies

**disclaimer: I own nothing, only a computer.**

**_Rooftops and Balconies_**

* * *

The morning of her eleventh birthday, Jinora was up before sunrise. Quietly, she left the house and walked to the edge of the cliff over looking the bay and Republic City. She gazed out at the city, watching as the first daring streaks of pink appeared on the horizon. She had gone out to see if the world looked any different, now that she was eleven. Sighing, she realized that the world looked exactly the same as it had every other day of her life. Disappointed, she snuck back into the house, and waited for everyone else to get up.

Even though her tenth birthday had been more important (or so she thought), her eleventh birthday was a bigger deal, what with all of Korra's friends staying on the island. Korra had emphatically insisted on a real party, with music and dancing and food and everything, even though Jinora had calmly informed everyone that she didn't want people to make a big deal about it. Her mother had even made her a new dress. That evening, when she put it on, the soft orange material hanging loosely on her skinny body, Jinora didn't feel grown up; she just felt tiny.

"Is that the new dress Mom made you? I wish Mom would make me a new dress. Oooh it's so pretty and twirly! Twirl Jinora! Twirl!" Ikki gushed when Jinora walked into the party.

Reluctantly, she spun around for her little sister, the orange material spinning around her.

"Yay!" Ikki clapped her hands, bouncing up and down.

Jinora rolled her eyes and approached the refreshments table, pushing past a bunch of adults whom she didn't know.

"Excuse me," she said politely, trying to make it through the crowd.

No one budged. She barely came up past their elbows, too small for anyone to notice her. Sighing, Jinora turned around and walked away, flopping down into a chair. Dejectedly, she watched as the adults socialized, monopolizing the food. What good was having your own party, she thought, if you couldn't get anything to eat?

"That's a nice dress you got there," Bolin said, walking over to her and bending down so that he was at her level.

"Thanks," she muttered dejectedly.

"What ya lookin' so sad for? It's your birthday! You should be smiling and happy!"

"I can't get past all those grown ups to get something to eat. I asked nicely, but no one would move," she explained, glancing over at the table with disdain.

"Well that's not alright," Bolin said, "A growing girl's gotta eat! I'll be right back."

He sauntered over to the table, easily nudging past all the people, and returned in a minute with a plate laden with all sorts of food.

"This enough?" he asked, handing it to her.

"Yeah," Jinora said, "It should be good. Thanks!"

"Ah, no problem. It's your birthday; I've gotta be nice to you. Tomorrow I'll go back to being mean to you," Bolin teased.

"But you're never mean, are you Bolin?" Ikki sped towards them, "You're always playing games with us and making food and you like to make us laugh and you make Korra laugh and Mako laugh and Asami laugh and sometimes you even make Dad laugh! Oh! Tell a joke, Bolin!"

Jinora rolled her eyes as Bolin opened his mouth to tell some ridiculously immature joke about a wolfbat, a flying bison and a polarbear dog. It was true. He was never mean, not even close. It wasn't that Korra's other friends were; it was more like they just weren't involved. Bolin, after the day on the beach, had started taking more time to make sure that Jinora and her siblings were having a good time.

The two of them had struck up an odd little friendship, which had for the last month or two consisted of her looking down her nose at him as he munched noisily on an apple, disrupting her reading with questions about everything from the plot to the architecture of the air temple. It was strange. Jinora had never really had any friends outside of her siblings, and even though Bolin wasn't exactly her age, she found that the company of someone other than Ikki and Meelo was nice.

"Oooh that was a funny joke, Bolin!" Ikki squealed, clapping her hands together, "You should tell the one where the Fire Lord and the Earth King go to the-"

"Whoa there, hold up kiddo," Bolin said, putting his hand up, "Looks like you could tell that one yourself. I've gotta go find Korra."

Ikki pouted.

"Don't worry," Bolin reassured her, "I'll be back. I'll tell you some more jokes then."

He smiled a them and padded away in search of Korra. Jinora went back to carefully chewing each mouthful of food. So far, other than the plate of food that Bolin had brought her, Jinora had been dreadfully disappointed in how the evening had gone. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to do it in the first place. She would have been content with a normal meal and a good book; now, she had to make everyone think that she was having an amazing time. As far as eleventh birthdays went, Jinora thought that this one was mediocre at best.

She sat there in the chair for as long as she could, before people (mostly her father's colleagues) began coming up to her and telling her how much she's grown, and how pretty she is and how wonderful a party it's been. Politely, she smiled back at them, and leapt up at the first opportunity, dashing out of the room and out onto the least occupied portion of the patio. Too bad she hadn't thought to bring her glider to the party. It would have made for an easy escape.

She climbed up on the railing, and sat with her feet dangling over the edge. It was quite a drop off, but she wasn't too worried. She stared out at the city, the bright lights twinkling in the darkness. It was hard to believe that in eleven years, she'd only been to the mainland twenty-seven times. She could recall each and every one of them after she was four years old, and the others, she had asked her mother about. In vivid detail, she had written accounts of her trips off the island in a journal, hoping that one day, she'd go so many times that she wouldn't have enough pages to write about it.

She loved the peace and isolation of the island, but sometimes, just sometimes, she felt like she was missing out. Before she could stop it, fat tears began leaking from her eyes, falling down into the darkness below.

"Whatcha doin' out here?" came Bolin's voice from behind her, "The party's just getting started."

"I prefer the quiet," she stated, refusing to turn around.

She tensed up as she heard him approach. Bolin swung his legs over the railing, and sat down next to her, wobbling a little bit. She turned her face away from him.

"Aw, what's wrong?" he asked, his face falling when he saw her tears, "C'mon birthday girl. You can tell good old Bo. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Jinora crossed her arms across her chest.

"It's stupid," she muttered.

"I betcha it's not."

Jinora inhaled, and let her frustrations out in one breath, like Ikki.

"I hate this stupid party, full of stupid guests who I don't know, who say stupid things, like I'm some stupid little child."

Bolin put his arm around her.

"I'm sorry that none of your friends got to come. I'm sure it would have been better with kids your own age."

"What friends? I don't know anyone off of this island," she said miserably.

"Then I'm sorry that we couldn't make it more fun for you," he said, and she could hear the sincerity in his voice, "It's your birthday, and you should get to dictate how much fun everyone has, so why don't we go back in there and show all those stupid grown ups how we have fun on Air Temple Island, huh?"

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay out here," she mumbled into his shoulder, "It's too loud in there."

"It's your birthday, your rules," he said, and shifted so that he was situated more comfortably on the railing.

He pointed out over the bay to one of the tallest buildings in Republic City.

"See that?" he said, "For my eleventh birthday, Mako and I snuck up there and stayed the night. We got to watch the sun rise over the bay, and I'll never forget the look on the security guard's face when he found us up there. We got thrown right out, but it was the best birthday ever."

Jinora laughed.

"You have all the best adventures, Bolin. Like they're right out of an adventure novel," she sighed, "I wish I could have adventures like that, too."

"Don't worry. One day, we can go have adventures in the city, too. Who knows," he said, "Maybe one day, we can sneak you up there so you can watch the sun rise from the city, instead of from here. Look at the world from a different angle."

Jinora smiled, picturing the pastel colors of the early morning clouds from the top of that skyscraper.

"One day," she said, and Bolin nodded in agreement.

* * *

there we go! chapter two! hope that you enjoy it and Bolin and Jinora's growing friendship. In this chapter, she's obviously eleven, and I have Bolin at sixteen, about to turn seventeen. Thanks for all the follows, and the reviews. I appreciate all of them, and totally encourage you to leave more! Have a lovely week!

xx


	3. Early Birthday Presents

**disclaimer: I own nothing, only a computer**

**_Early Birthday Presents_**

* * *

Jinora gripped the railing of the ferry, leaning forward ever so slightly, as the boat chugged through the water and towards the city. The cold spray from the water was misting over her, settling on her clothes, dampening the orange and yellow tunic, but she didn't mind. She was going to the city.

It was an early thirteenth birthday present from Bolin, a trip to the new exhibition at the fine art gallery. She had been gushing about it to him for months, and when he had walked up to her, waving two passes in her face, she had flown out of her seat, bouncing up and down like Ikki. Bolin had made fun of her for that for weeks, saying that she never got that excited about things.

As the ferry docked, Jinora glided down the ramp, eagerly waiting for Bolin to join her.

"No need to be in such a rush, Jin," he laughed, "It's not going anywhere."

Reluctantly, she slowed down, and together they leisurely strolled down the streets to the Republic City Art Gallery. Jinora stared up at the building's magnificent edifice of beautiful, carved marble.

"Ready?" Bolin said, and Jinora nodded.

They climbed up the steps to the entrance, stepping through a gigantic doorway into the cool lobby of the gallery. Bolin presented their tickets to a security guard, who smiled at Jinora, ushering them inside.

The new exhibition was on the top floor of the museum, and after winding their way up several flights of stairs, they were finally there. The artist was a woman from the Fire Nation, named Anika, who had spent years traveling the world, creating beautiful representations of the land and people that she encountered. She had also written a book about her travels, which was how Jinora had found out about her.

They entered the gallery, Jinora trailing a little bit behind Bolin; she got the feeling that they did museums very differently. She liked to study each and every work of art methodically. He seemed to like buzzing through until something caught his eye, and he would stay there for a while, contemplating the painting or drawing in front of him. Jinora watched out of the corner of her eye as Bolin moved from painting to painting, staring up at each one, before moving on to the next.

Every single one of the paintings was beautiful, with the soft, curling brushstrokes that formed the icy buildings of the Northern Water Tribe, the strong, sturdy lines of Earth Kingdom buildings, and the bright, energetic colors that shaded the Fire Nation royal palace. The faces, too, of the people in each place were precise and expressive. Jinora could almost hear the laughter of the Fire Nation school boys, or hear the diligent hum of the women working in healing houses in the South Pole. The world was a diverse and beautiful place, and Jinora saw it in every one of the paintings.

At the end of the gallery, were paintings of Republic City: a storm brewing over Air Temple Island, the sun glistening off of the golden roof of the Pro-Bending Arena, vendors selling their goods at the open air market. Jinora sat down next to Bolin, who was perched on a gallery bench, leaning forward to study one painting in particular. It was of one of the city's slums, showing children in ragged clothing playing in the streets, as sad adults looked on.

"That's the neighborhood that Mako and I grew up in," he said, pointing at the painting, "After our parents died. She really got everything spot on."

Jinora didn't know what to say; she had no concept of the poverty in Republic City. She was almost thirteen, and despite her father being on the City Council, she had no experience with the living, breathing part of the city that she yearned to be a part of.

"It's a beautiful painting," she said awkwardly.

"Yeah," Bolin agreed, standing up, "They all are."

Jinora got up and followed him out of the gallery, glancing back at the painting of Republic City as they left.

They spent the rest of the afternoon in the other galleries, none of which did much of anything for either Bolin or Jinora. By the time that they were done, her feet hurt, and she was ready to sit down for a long time.

"Wanna grab some noodles before you go back?" Bolin asked, "My treat!"

"Sure," she said, and he took her to a place called Narook's, where he ordered like a pro, assuring her that she was about to have the best meal of her life.

"So how'd you like the gallery?" he asked her between mouthfuls.

"It was great!" Jinora gushed, "The paintings were beautiful! I'd love to go all those places. I mean, I've been to some, with my dad, but one day I want to travel everywhere and see it for myself!"

Bolin smiled at her.  
"And leave good old Bo behind?" he said, grinning at her.

"You could come too," she offered, looking up at him from her noodles.

"Aw, you don't want that," he said, "Although I've heard that I could get a mean cup of tea in Ba Sing Se."

Jinora frowned.  
"Why wouldn't I want you to come?" she asked.

"Because in a few years, you'll be all grown up and have other friends who you'd rather see the world with than me," he said, and Jinora saw a hint of sadness flit across his smiling face.

"That's ridiculous," Jinora said, "Even if I have other friends-"

"You will."  
"Even if! You're still gonna be my _best_ friend, and best friends don't leave each other behind."

She gave him a small smile, which he returned in kind.

"Of course not. We'll go see the world one day," Bolin promised, "But for now, the two of us are stuck right here in Republic City."

"It's not such a bad place to be stuck," Jinora said, "And next year, my dad is letting me start school on the mainland."

"He's what?!" Bolin exclaimed, spitting out his noodles, "Are you serious?"  
"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bolin said, "It's just, you've never been to a real school before. I never thought that Tenzin would let you go. You're still so young to be out in the city by yourself."

Jinora glared at him.

"I'm almost thirteen," she said.

"Right, right I know, I'm sorry," Bolin apologized, "I know that you'll be fine. I just worry about you, ya know?"

Jinora slurped up the rest of her noodles.  
"I know, Bolin," she said, "But just like you said, I've gotta get out into the world sometime, right?"

"Did I say that? I was totally kidding. You should stay on Air Temple Island, wearing all sorts of padding forever," he said, keeping a serious face.

Jinora aimed a kick at him under the table.

"OW!" he yelped, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

Jinora leaned back and laughed.

"I know," she said, "You're not funny."

Bolin sniffed.

"I'm hilarious and you know it, child."

She kicked him again.

"Alright alright! I'll shut up!"

On the way back to the ferry, Jinora apologized to Bolin for kicking him.

"Ah, it's alright, Jin," he said, "I've taken a couple beatings a little worse than that over the years. Besides, I know that you were only kidding, just like you knew that I was too."

"Yeah, well, sorry anyways. Dad says violence is not the answer."

"My shins agree."

She rolled her eyes, "Thanks for the tickets. That was the best early birthday present ever."

"No problem, kiddo," Bolin said, "It was fun."

They boarded the ferry, and Jinora glanced back at the city as they began to chug away from it. The sun was just beginning to set, and she thought that all of its beauty could never be captured in a painting, even one as great as Anika's.

* * *

well there you go! thanks to everyone who is reading/reviewing. I love you all!

xx


	4. Flour Covered Hair

**disclaimer: I own nothing, only a computer**

**_Flour Covered Hair_**

It was a week before Jinora began her first year at a real school, and the air was thick and heavy. She'd been anticipating this for a long time, excitedly rambling about it to Bolin, who had leaned back and smiled as she chattered away, so much more like her younger sister than herself. But as the date approached, she found herself growing more and more nervous about going to school. What if the other kids didn't like her? What if her teachers didn't like her? What if she didn't like them?

Going from such a a place so secluded as Air Temple Island to a crowded school on the mainland was going to be such a change of pace; what if she couldn't handle it?

"You're going to be _fine_, Jin," Bolin said, squeezing her shoulder as she frowned, "Don't worry."

"But Bolin, I can't stop worrying."

"You just need to relax. C'mon. Let's go do something in the city, get you acclimatized to your new stomping grounds," he suggested.

"I can't," Jinora mumbled, pulling her knees up to her chest, trying to counter the knotting sensation in her stomach.

"Why not? I thought that your parents were getting more lenient about the whole city thing. Plus, you're with me, and they know that I'd never let anything happen to you."

"My mom says that I can't today," she said, her face flushing a deep red color, "Girl reasons."

This was Bolin. He was her best friend, and her most trusted confidant. She shouldn't feel embarrassed about this; she shouldn't feel embarrassed about this with anyone, she amended to herself. Menstruation was a part of life, and nothing to be ashamed of. But this was her first time, and as much as her mother had explained to her that it was natural perfectly alright, she just felt like this was something that she couldn't share with anyone, even, if not especially, Bolin.

"Oh," said Bolin, and Jinora wasn't sure that he had got it, until his eyes went a little wider than normal, "Oooh, I see."

He blushed too, and Jinora could see his mind working out what to say to her. He hadn't really been around many girls growing up, so she couldn't blame him for not knowing how to react.

"Well, uh, I guess you're all grown up now, Jin," he said, smiling awkwardly at her, and she glared at him, "Right, OK, so how about we just hang out here?"

Jinora felt the knot in her stomach begin to dissipate. Of course Bolin would be alright with it; he was Bolin, and he was always alright with everything. How she could have ever doubted that she could tell him, Jinora didn't know.

"And do what, Bo?" she asked, "Meditate?"

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Of course not. I was thinking cliff jumping? With your glider of course."

"Bolin, just because I've grown a _little_, doesn't mean that I can hold all of you up. Next option."

"We could bake cookies," he suggested, and Jinora laughed, "No, I'm serious! It'll be a lot of fun."

"Bolin. Do you even know how to make cookies?" she asked him skeptically.

"No, but I'm sure we can find a recipe somewhere on this island," he said, grinning at her, "Come on!"

"Oh, alright," Jinora said, and followed Bolin into the kitchen.

There were cookbooks stacked on one counter, and she leafed through them until she found a cookie recipe that they could make. Reading off the list of ingredients, she directed Bolin around the kitchen to pull things out of drawers and cupboards. With everything laid out on the counter, they began.

It was a long and messy process, and they had to start over more than once, but by the time they were finished, they had made enough cookies to feed everyone on the island for well over a week. As she put the final batch in the oven, Jinora glanced over at Bolin, who was leaning against the counter, licking cookie dough off of his fingers. He was the only nineteen year old boy she knew that would make cookies with a thirteen year old girl, she thought, and then thought with a little chagrin that he was the _only _boy that she knew, and the fact that he was nineteen only added to that. She didn't like him, she thought, as she watched him try to shake the flour out of his hair, sneezing as it puffed up in a cloud around his head. She didn't like him, she thought. He was six years older than her and had a different girlfriend every week, each prettier than the last, and certainly none of them were anywhere near as young as her. She didn't like him, she thought, as she closed the oven door, and went to help him clean up the mess that they had made. She didn't like him, she thought as he brushed the flour out of her hair and put his arm around her when they were done.

She didn't like him.

* * *

sorry that it's been a while since I've updated, and that the update is pretty short. I've been really busy with school and stuff eeek. anyways thank you for the wonderful reviews! Keep 'em comin!


	5. Couch Sitting

**disclaimer: i own nothing, only a computer**

_**Couch Sitting**_

She liked him. Well, she didn't _like him_ like him. Or at least she didn't think that she did. He was just smart, and funny, and alright, maybe she thought that he was a little bit cute. Hyo had been the first kid at school to introduce themselves to her, and that small act of kindness had made Jinora admire him almost immediately. While a lot of the kids treated her weirdly because she was the new kid, the airbender, and an introverted bookworm, Hyo had been nice, genuinely interested in airbending and the culture that she lived in out on Air Temple Island. He invited her to eat lunch with him and his friends, and soon they were hanging out every day, Jinora showing him airbending tricks, Hyo showing her how to chi-block. They talked about books, and sometimes even leant each other stories. It was perfect.

Alright, so maybe she did like him.

That didn't change the fact that she had to baby sit her siblings over the weekend, while her parents were away on important council business. Korra had Avatar things to do (although Jinora strongly suspected that these 'things' might actually just be Mako), and Jinora had been roped into it before she had the chance to say no. Not that she minded. She loved her siblings. It was just that as the school year wore on, she kept missing things, like the little parties that her new friends had, and the trouble that they got into while she was sitting at home taking care of her brothers and sister.

It didn't matter; she had her books, and they were really all that she needed. As much as other people thought her strange for it, it was true. Delving into the fictional worlds pressed between the covers of her books was one of the most fulfilling feelings for Jinora. Sometimes, though, she wished that she could assimilate to the culture of her peers, and enjoy all the music and dancing that they did.

If she was with Hyo, she might like it.

Jinora sighed, and curled up on the couch with her book. Rohan was napping, Ikki was chasing lemurs, and Meelo... well, Jinora didn't know what he was doing, but she also didn't really want to. She settled in, nestling against the pillows of the couch, and let herself fall into the story.

It was dark out by the time she set the book down; she should probably go get the kids and give them dinner.

"Ikki!" she called out, stepping outside, "Meelo! Dinner time!"

She gently woke Rohan up, and carried him into the dining room, where he promptly fell back asleep.

"Ikki! Meelo!" she called out again.

No response. She waited for a moment, before putting the dinner dishes down on the table.

"Stay here," she told Rohan, and walked outside to go find her siblings.

As she stepped into the darkness, she collided with something solid. _Someone_ solid, she should say.

"Ahh!" Bolin exclaimed, jumping back, "Oh, it's only you, Jin."

"Bolin! What are you doing here?" Jinora asked, looking up at him.

They hadn't talked all that much since she had started school. It wasn't intentional or anything. She was just busy.

"What, I can't come visit you?" he said.

"Well, it is a Friday night. I would have thought you were going out or something."

"Yeah, well. Plans fall through sometimes," he said, frowning, "But anyways, are you looking for Ikki and Meelo? I think I saw them running around out in front of the temple."

Jinora rolled her eyes. They were probably driving the acolytes up the wall.

"Let's go get them," she said, sighing.

Ikki and Meelo were both flitting around, leaping after each other, giggling like mad.

"Come on you guys," Jinora said, "It's dinner time."

"Not hungry," Ikki said, running past her, "Already ate."

"Me too, mee tooo!" Meelo shouted, blasting them in the face with air.

"Already ate?" Jinora said, crossing her arms, "When?"

"While you were reading," Ikki said, doubling back.

"Fine," Jinora said, "But if you get hungry later, no snacking."

She turned away from them and Bolin followed her back towards the house. Rohan was asleep at the table, food all over his face. Jinora sighed heavily. Being a big sister was exhausting sometimes.

She picked him up and carried him back to bed.

"Sleep tight, little brother," she said, kissing him on the head."

Finally, she sat down to eat.

"Help yourself, Bo. There's plenty, now that those two aren't eating."

He grinned and served himself a huge portion of rice and curry.

"Thanks, Jin."

They ate in silence for a while. Once she was finished with her food, and cleared everything away, they retreated to the couch.

"So, how's school?" Bolin asked her, "I haven't talked to you in forever."  
"It's alright, I guess," she said, shrugging,

"I bet you have a lot of new friends," Bolin said, "Ones that you'll want to take on your adventures more than me."

Jinora thought of Hyo, and how he always talked about getting out of Republic City and visiting all the nations once he was old enough to go.

"Not really," she said, "I'd still rather take you."

"That's good, because I'd still love to go."

Jinora laughed.

"How's your girlfriend?" she asked.

"Min?" he frowned, "Oh, we're not going out anymore."

"Oh," Jinora said, "I'm sorry.

She leaned into his side.

"Yeah, me too," he shook his head, "But it's no big deal. I'm fine. How about you, though? Any boys that I need to go beat up?"

"No," Jinora said, "Not yet."

"What, a boy that I _might_ need to beat up? Because it's better to beat him up sooner rather than later."

"No! Hyo's nice!" Jinora said, laughing, and then stopped.

Oops.

"Ooh, _Hyo_? Who's _Hyo_?"

Bolin's eyes were big, and he poked her in the side.

"Nobody, Bolin," she sighed, "And nothing would ever happen anyways."

"Aw, don't say that," he said, and threw an arm around her.

Jinora wanted to shrink back in between the cushions of the couch. She didn't want to talk about this now, with anyone. But especially not with Bolin.

"Why not, Jinora?" he asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

She just shook her head, and bit her lip.

"Come on, you're like the most articulate person that I know, Jinora. You can say something," he coaxed.

"It's just that I thought things would be different once I got off the island for school. I thought that I would have friends in the city and hang out in the city and do things with people who weren't my brothers and sister. But I'm not," she said, "I'm stuck here all the time, week after week, while all the people that I guess are my friends go out and have fun together. Hyo is the only person who really talks to me, but I never even get to hang out with him outside of school. Even you aren't around anymore!"

Jinora wasn't going to cry, she really wasn't but if Bolin didn't wipe that heartbroken look off of his face, she was going to start bawling.

"Oh, _Jinora_," he said, and before she knew what was happening, he wrapped her up into the tightest hug she had ever experienced and was crushing her against his chest.

"Bo-Bo-BOLIN!" she grunted, struggling against the hug, "I-CAN'T-BREATHE!"

He let go of her.

"Oops! Sorry!" he said, and patted her ruffled hair.

She rolled her eyes.

"I forgot, you're thirteen. I can't pat your head anymore," he said, "Too bad."  
She settled back, leaning into Bolin's side again.

"You're gonna be alright, Jin," he said, "You've got plenty of time to go out and do fun stuff with friends. Tell you what, next time your parents want you to baby sit on a night when you're friends are hanging out, I'll do it for you."

Jinora looked up at him.

"Really, Bo?"

"Really."

* * *

it's been a while guys, but I finally got another little bit of this up. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I'm really sorry I am the most inconsistent updater ever. I know these are short, but they're supposed to just be little snatches into Jinora's (and Bolin's) life. Later they might get a little longer, but for now they're more vignette-y.

reviews definitely appreciated!

OH and also just to be clear (in case it wasn't) Jinora still has a crush on Bolin; she's just repressing it somewhat.

xx


	6. Spinning

**disclaimer: I own nothing, only a computer. **

_**Spinning**_

Jinora's head was spinning. The room was too tiny, too crowded, too hot for her. She needed to escape back into the night, away from her loud, rambunctious classmates, who were dancing wildly inside. It was a little disappointing, this whole party business. Fifteen years old and this was her first real party. It had been fun at first, when the number of people had been reasonable, and she had been laughing and joking around with Hyo and a couple of other kids. But soon, the number of kids had started to grow, and before long the room had been filled to capacity. A lot of the older kids had showed up, too, and things had started to get crazy. Hyo had disappeared into the mix, probably pulled into the dancing by some girl, older and more beautiful than Jinora.

She rubbed the cup in her hands, staring at the remaining liquid. There wasn't much left, but she didn't want to refill it; she was sure she had seen one of the older boys slip something in the large bowl of juice, and maybe if there hadn't been so many people there, she wouldn't have minded, but Jinora wasn't too keen on the idea of being inebriated for the first time in a large, insane group of people she didn't feel particularly close to.

So instead, she began to push her way through the crowd. There was nothing of interest left for her at the party. Maybe next time. Next time she would have the guts to grab Hyo by the wrist and pull him into the middle of the crowd, and everyone would see them dancing and be amazed. As she reached the exit, she looked back over her shoulder, and saw Hyo, his arms wrapped around a girl in the year above them. He was smiling as they swayed together, and Jinora swallowed. It didn't matter.

He looked up, and met her eyes, looking concerned and confused as she pushed open the door, and headed into the night. Maybe he'll come running after me, like the hero of every dumb romance novel I've ever read, she thought. In hopes that her inner romantic might actually be correct, Jinora loitered around the door for a while, but when the only people that came stumbling out were two older kids, grasping wildly at each other, attached at the lips, Jinora sighed and left the party for good.

She'd never been alone in Republic City before, and certainly not at night. The lights that had always seemed to sparkle as she had stared at the city from her room seemed dimmer up close. It wasn't that far back to the ferry dock, but Jinora didn't really feel like going home. She didn't want to face her sister's questions, or be stuck, sitting on her bed, replaying the scene over and over in her head, berating herself for what she had done wrong. Instead, she turned left instead of right, and headed away from the waterfront, and into the city.

It was incredible how alive the city was, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night. After around eight o'clock on Air Temple Island, everything seemed to come to a halt, but here, here it was quite the opposite. Music floated out of bars and clubs, the different tunes clashing and complimenting one another as Jinora walked down the street. The smell of hearty meals being cooked in restaurants and the fragrant aromas of the food in the street vendors' carts assaulted her nose, and she lamented not having any money with her; she was starving.

People of all ages were flocking into and out of the bars, clinging to each other, stumbling over bumps in the sidewalk. Was that what life was like for the rest of the world? Jinora wondered if she would ever have a friend who's arm she could hang off of, laughing until her sides hurt, drunk off the night. Bolin, she thought, Bolin could be that friend. But then she remembered that Bolin was six years older than her, and probably wouldn't be caught dead going to a party with her, even if it didn't mean feeling Tenzin's wrath.

It didn't matter. Jinora could do it by herself. She had always been an independent person, not a loner, but comfortable on her own. She was going to go experience Life for herself, even if it meant doing it by herself. All it took was a little courage, she thought, and she was the granddaughter of Avatar Aang. Surely she had plenty of that.

Jinora walked along the street, looking for a suitable nightclub to slip into, one that she wouldn't get kicked out of right away. It was a risk, and probably the stupidest thing she had ever done, but wasn't her mother always telling her that it was normal for teenagers to do dumb things? She'd never done anything risky in her entire life, at least not like this. Jinora owed it to herself to try something new.

She caught sight of her reflection in the glass of a closed shop, and admired her party attire. It was modern and fun and completely different from any of her other clothes. It made her feel good to look at her reflection and see the makeup that Asami had done for her, which made her look older, and like a normal teenager, out for a night on the town.

Taking a deep breath, Jinora stopped outside a club with a considerable number of young people hanging around the entrance. This was it. She stepped inside, slipping unnoticed past the bouncer and into the hazy crowd.

It was different than the school party that she had run from. That had been cramped and the dancing had been forced and uncomfortable. This was something else entirely. It was packed, sure, but all the people were strangers, moving as one, swaying to the lively rhythm of the band. Everyone was intoxicated, but not only by the drinks. It was the pure feeling of togetherness that made it so different from the school party. Before she knew it, Jinora was engulfed by the crowd, and propelled onto the dance floor.

Trapped in the tangle of bodies, Jinora couldn't really see a way out of it, other than just trying to move along with the rest of the dancers. Maybe this had been a bad idea, she conceded to herself as she swayed and swung her way back towards the edges of the dance floor. If she could just escape this mass of people and catch her breath, she could figure out what to do.

"I'm an idiot," she whispered under her breath.

As she was nearing the edge of the dance floor, she accidentally locked eyes with a boy who looked to be a few years older than her. He smiled, and tentatively, she smiled back.

"You need help?" he called over the music.

"No, it's fine, I've got it," she called back, trying to slide between some more dancers.

The boy shrugged, and let her struggle on. Finally, she escaped the bodies, and stood at the edge of the dance floor, staring at the mess she had just left. Suddenly, the boy was at her side again.

"You look lost," he said.

"I'm not lost."

"If you say so," he said, shrugging again, "It's more fun if you're with someone."

"What's more fun?" she asked, looking up at the boy, who stood a about a head taller than her.

"Dancing," he said.

"You're not with anyone," Jinora observed.

"And do I look like I'm having much fun?" he said, raising an eyebrow.  
"To be completely honest," Jinora said, "I wasn't really paying attention to how much fun you looked like you were having. I was more concerned with getting out of that death trap."

The boy laughed.

"Come on," he said, "Let's go back in. I promise that it'll be better this time."

Jinora frowned at him, and he pouted, making those stupid big eyes that Ikki made when she wanted something from their father.

"Fine," she said, and took his extended hand.

"Great!" he said, beaming.

He pulled Jinora back towards the dance floor, pushing through the dancers in an effortless manner, until they were about as deep into the crowd as they could get. The music was blaring and loud and fast and the people around them were moving wildly. Jinora had no idea how to dance to this music, but she got the feeling that skill wasn't something that mattered. It was all in the energy, and as she drew a great breath, Jinora knew that she could muster enough to match her now dancing partner's crazy movements.

They moved wildly together and with the crowd, and Jinora found herself amazed at how easily she could step outside of what she had been comfortable with her entire life. She was boxed in, trapped completely by all the other dancers, but she felt so completely free and light. They danced for longer than she could keep track of, and eventually, the music changed into something less rambunctious.

The new song was slow and sultry. The entire atmosphere of the room changed, from energetic and wild to languorous and something that almost felt seductive. Jinora was thrown, looking around confusedly. Couples were now pressed up together, their dances becoming more intimate than raucous.

"Don't worry," the boy said, and pulled her close to him, "I'll teach you."

His arms circled around her waist, and by observing the couples around them, Jinora saw that she should put her arms around his neck. It was more of a swaying embrace than a dance, their bodies pushed up against one another. The boy was sweaty, but with her face buried in his neck, Jinora could smell the deep, sweet smell of his cologne. It was nice.

She knew it was going to happen. She knew it was going to happen approximately three minutes before it did, but when he finally did lean down and kiss her, Jinora was still surprised. At first, she was flustered, and she could feel the boy fighting a smile at her inexperience.

He pulled away and said in her ear, "It's fine."

Jinora was confused. Did he not want to kiss her anymore? She hoped that wasn't the impression she had given him.

"Yeah," she said, "It is."

Jinora raised her face to the boy and kissed him back. He seemed surprised by her sudden initiative, but went with it, moving his hands from her waist to the back of her head, tilting it up slightly. His lips were chapped, and the skin on his hands, brushing against the back of her neck was rough. Jinora liked it. She liked the contrast of his rough hands on her smooth skin. She liked the faint moisture in his hair that she felt as she wound her hands in it, and the way that she could feel the rise and fall of the boy's chest as she stood pressed against him. Slowly, they moved towards the edge of the crowd again.

By the time they broke free of it, the kiss had changed. It was more passionate and less gentle. His tongue had slipped through her lips a few times, and his hands had wandered from her head down her body. Being touched felt good, Jinora found. It was new, and hazily she wondered why she had never tried it before.

"Jinora?"

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked over the boy's shoulder. Bolin was standing there with some girls and guys that looked about as old as him, holding a drink in his hand, looking positively shocked.

"Jinora?" he said again, stepping forward, "What are you doing here? Korra said you were at some party tonight."

Jinora pulled away from the boy, who looked very confused and more than a little disappointed.

"I was," she said, "But it wasn't very fun, so I left, and came here."

Bolin eyed the boy suspiciously.

"And who are you?" Bolin asked.

"Joji," the boy said, and Jinora realized that she hadn't even thought to ask him his name, "Who are you?"

"A friend of Jinora's. How do you two know each other?"

"We...uh...don't really. Or didn't. I guess we do now, huh?" Joji said, grinning briefly at Jinora.

"I think you should probably go home Jin," Bolin said.

"You're probably right," she said, huffing a small sigh of disappointment, "It was nice to meet you, Joji."

"You too, Jinora," he said, and leaned down to give her a quick kiss, "See you round."

"See you."

"Let's go," Bolin said, turning quickly to his friends, "Sorry guys, but I've gotta take her home."

They nodded their goodbyes, and Jinora followed Bolin out, glancing back at Joji, who was staring after them with a slight smile on his face.

They were about half a block away from the club before either of them spoke again.

"I don't even know what to say," Bolin said, "I don't know whether to laugh or to be angry."

"You should laugh," Jinora said quickly, "You should definitely laugh."

He frowned at her.

"I can't believe you did that, Jin. Do you know how dangerous that was? You were all alone! Anything could have happened!"

"I know! But I can take care of myself, honestly, I can!" Jinora said, ignoring Bolin's squawks of protest, "I just got bored at the party I was at, and I was upset with myself for not being more... I don't know. More fun. So I decided to have some fun."

"Well you certainly looked like you were having a good time," Bolin said under his breath.

"That's because I _was _having a good time. It was fun. Joji was nice. And don't look at me like that! I'm not some little kid who needs protecting."

"I'm sire Joji was just _lovely_, Jinora but going to a club by yourself? You're fifteen! Something seriously bad could have happened."

Jinora huffed. She _knew _that it had been dangerous, but she didn't need Bolin banging on about it for the entire way home.

"Bolin, I know. But please, stop acting like my dad!"

"Alright, alright," Bolin said, throwing his hands up, "Just promise me not to do anything that stupid again."

"Fine," she said, "I promise."

"Good," Bolin said, beaming.

They stepped onto the ferry that would take them out to Air Temple Island. There was a chilly breeze, and Jinora shivered. Bolin wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into him.

"I really _was _having a good time, you know," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I'm sorry I disturbed your... good time," Bolin said, "I was just so surprised to see you there, and all wrapped up in the arms of some dumb teenage boy. I mean really, Jinora?"

"Well I thought it was a nice first kiss," she said, and looked up at him, "Certainly much better than kissing Hyo would have been."

The expression on Bolin's face was somewhere between pained and bemused. Jinora laughed.

"I'm sure I would have got home just fine by myself, Bolin," she said, "But thanks for taking me, and for being concerned about me. And I'm sorry that you had to leave your friends."

"Eh, don't be," he said, shrugging, "And it's nothing. You're my best friend. Of course I'm concerned about you. I'm always concerned about you."

"That's sweet."

"I'm sweet."

"I know."

"You should."

"Shut up."

Jinora looked up at the sky, where the moon was just poking out from behind a cloud, and smiled as broadly as she could. It had been a good night.

* * *

GASP, I know, Jinora's first kiss was someone other than Bolin! But I personally feel that it had to be, because first and foremost they are best friends, as well as the fact that at 15, the age gap between them does make somewhat of a difference, and she's recognized that and tried to put somewhat of a hold on her crush on him.

it's been a long while, but since this is a bit longer than the other chapters, hopefully it made up for the wait, although it probably didn't.

reviews are always appreciated; they keep me going until we get some news about season two!

xx

Molly


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